As the holiday season begins and commitments start to pile up, a simple and healthy meal at home might be just what Sidewalkers need to take a break from the madness!
Caponata is a cooked vegetable medley that originated in Sicily. Traditionally it is made with eggplant, capers and other vegetables and sauces but there are countless variations. This versatile topping can be used on virtually anything such as fish, veal or steak. It is fresh, light and requires almost no prep time.
Below you will find recipes for my version of caponata paired with veal chop and swordfish. Enjoy!
Savory Caponata
Caponata on the cooktop.To create this easy caponata topping, you will need a dash of lemon juice, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup of white wine, salt and pepper to taste and veggies: I recommend black or green olives, cherry or regular tomatoes, capers and onion. You can also add some garlic if you’d like.
1. Dice olives, tomato and onion equally.
2. In a hot pan, combine white wine, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper and let simmer.
3. Add all the vegetables to the pan and cook for about a minute.
4. Pour caponata on top of a protein of your choice and serve.
Swordfish, the “Steak of Fish”
A well-balanced meal! Basmati rice, green beans almondine and swordfish caponata.To prep this simple and delicious dish, you will need about six ounces of swordfish fillet cut ¼ inch thick, salt and pepper to taste and a small amount of olive oil. If swordfish is unavailable or you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, you can use any fish such as cod, mahi or grouper! This recipe can be cooked on the stove or right on the grill.
1. On a plate, sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the fish.
2. Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the fish so that it doesn’t stick to the pan or grill.
3. Make sure your stove or grill is very hot and a little smoky. Grill fish for two minutes on each side.
4. Remove fish from heat. Pour caponata on top of the fish and serve.
Lean Veal Chop
This veal chop caponata uses green and black olives, red tomato and garlic.For this, you will need 12-14 ounces of veal cut ¼ inch thick, a small amount of olive oil, some flour of your choice, 1 egg, Panko breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to taste, ½ cup of white wine and ¼ teaspoon of butter.
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly dust both sides of veal with any kind of flour.
3. Beat an egg in a bowl. Wash both sides of veal in egg.
4. Dip both sides of veal in breadcrumbs.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
6. In a pan on high heat, add a small amount of olive oil and sear the veal for one minute on each side.
7. In the same pan, add white wine and butter.
8. For medium-rare meat, place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. The juices of the meat combined with the wine and butter create a wonderful flavor. If you like your veal more well-done, cook for a few minutes longer.
9. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes. Add caponata on top and serve.
Both of these healthy dishes are great when paired with my homemade mashed potatoes or seared spinach! Recipe details can be found in my cookbook here.